


A single rose petal

by Nofanficnova



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Florist Keith (Voltron), M/M, Past Character Death, SHEITH - Freeform, Vampire Bites, Vampire Shiro (Voltron)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-21
Updated: 2018-07-21
Packaged: 2019-06-09 19:45:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,312
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15274887
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nofanficnova/pseuds/Nofanficnova
Summary: Plants are good. Plants give life. Plants don’t judge. Neither does the regular customer at the flower shop, apparently.Nor should he be judged, either.





	A single rose petal

**Author's Note:**

  * For [aprettyboy](https://archiveofourown.org/users/aprettyboy/gifts).



> HAPPY BIRTHDAY CHERIE! <3
> 
> Beta’d by Genesister, thank you so much!

Keith’s life has been simple so far. Go to kindergarten, take care of plants, grow.  
Go to school, take care of plants, grow.  
Go to work to take care of plants.

Simple. Simple can’t hurt, and leave him. Flowers, likewise, can’t hurt, not intentionally; they don’t abandon you, and you can be the one they depend on to survive. That’s why, after graduating, the obvious, and best choice for him was to open his own flower shop with a garden in the back. That way, he could personally ensure his plants were well-taken care of.

His last customer of the day browsing right now doesn’t look simple at all. Completely white hair with a clean cut, scar on his nose and a sad smile on his face as he gently touches a rose petal a previous customer’s bouquet has left behind on the counter. This man doesn’t look old, but somehow, at the same time, it seems like he carries all the sorrow of the world in his grey eyes.

”May I help you, sir?” Keith asks, after gaining the man’s attention with a soft cough. The man hesitates before nodding.

”What are the flowers you use to apologize to a friend?” It’s not that unusual to ask for help to apologize to a lover or parents, but a friend? Keith doesn’t have a ready answer.

”Hmm...if I arranged an apology bouquet, I would probably use white tulips as a sign of new beginning, fern for sincerity, blue hyacinth for constancy of love and also ivy for friendship and continuity”, he ends up answering after thinking.

The man nods, pleased with the answer.

”Could you make that bouquet? It needs to be ready by next Wednesday.”

If he has to order some of the flowers, he needs to hurry with the arrangement. New regular customer would be nice though… Keith gives his best business smile. ”And under what name shall I make the reservation, sir?”

 

* * *

 

Despite wanting the flowers next Wednesday, Keith sees the man - whom his store receipt names Takashi Shirogane - already next evening at his flower shop. He’s browsing the small card section, deep in thought.

”How may I help you today, sir?” Keith asks from behind the counter with his usual business smile on his lips.

Yesterday, Mr. Shirogane had too many clothes on, but now Keith can see just enough of the abs he could lick. The caveman in Keith wants to just embrace the muscles, but the side of him that doesn’t want to get in trouble for randomly touching someone’s biceps wins, and he ends up just helping Mr. Shirogane to pick a card for his friend.

 

* * *

 

It’s weird, Keith thinks while he’s lying in his bed that night. Why does Mr. Shirogane have such a strong pull on him, like a magnet in his veins?

_”Less of a magnet and more like hypnosis, dear Keith”, a familiar voice basically growls next to Keith’s ear._

_”Mr. Shirogane?” Keith opens his eyes but there’s only darkness._

_”Please, call me Shiro”, the man says before nipping on Keith’s ear. Keith gasps in surprise.  
”Shiro… What are you doing, why are you here?” he asks while trying to think, but it’s so hard when Shiro moves his hand downwards along his chest._

_”Don’t think of pointless things like those, just focus on me”, Shiro murmurs now against Keith’s neck. That’s a good advice. Shiro’s metal hand joins the other on Keith’s chest, and together the hands move down…_

_Down…Down………_

Keith sits up with a jolt when he hears his alarm. He feels like his face is burning up, and when he looks down between his legs he can’t help but to sigh. Great. The second time he sees the man and he already has a wet dream of him the next night? Keith can’t believe himself.

 

That evening Mr. Shirogane doesn’t show up. Or the next. Or the next. During the weekend Keith’s flower shop is closed, so Keith doesn’t see him then either. The dreams continue, though. Seriously, why does Keith feel so infatuated based on two brief meetings?

He finds the answer the Wednesday evening when Mr. Shirogane is supposed to pick up the bouquet. Mr. Shirogane looks more pale than usual and as he gives Keith the payment his hands are shaking.

”Are you alright, sir?” Keith asks, he can’t help but to feel a little worried over his customer. What if he faints when he leaves?

”Yeah, I’m…fine”, Mr. Shirogane says, but doesn’t sound convinced.

”Mr. Shirogane, please. I can see that you’re not fine. You came here on foot right? I would be irresponsible florist if I let you go alone in that condition. I can give you a ride wherever you’re going, sir”, Keith suggests.  
Mr. Shirogane hesitates before he nods. ”Thank you a lot... I really don’t deserve this.”

”You have been very kind to me and my flowers, so you definitely do deserve this, sir”, Keith smiles and after he closes the shop he leads Mr. Shirogane to his car.

”So, where are you headed, sir?” he asks and looks at Mr. Shirogane. The white-haired man looks like he’s out of breath and he’s squeezing the bouquet he just bought.

”Sir?” Keith touches the man’s hand lightly and both of them flinch, Keith in surprise because of how cold the hand is and Mr. Shirogane because he’s clearly not focused in what’s happening right now.  
”Oh... Sorry”, the man apologizes, ”It’s the cemetery nearby.”  
The cemetery? Keith’s mind is racing with different ideas why Mr. Shirogane would go there before meeting his friend (or is he going to meet his friend /there/?) but with a nod he starts the car and drives his customer there.

 

* * *

 

As Keith looks at Mr. Shirogane walk with wobbly steps, he can’t help but to worry about the man and runs after him.  
”Sir, would you please let me help you a little more and carry the bouquet for you? Your steps look so heavy I’m worried you may fall down”, he admits and earns a chuckle from the man.

”You’re worried about what happens to your flowers, aren’t you?”

 

Keith chuckles too, but doesn’t answer Mr. Shirogane.

Their walk is quiet and Keith focuses on looking around. He always imagined cemeteries would be creepy in the evenings and especially when the evening is turning into night, but no. The cemetery is beautiful. It’s calm and quiet, the trees all around are swaying along the wind and there’s no other human in sight.

No other human in sight maybe shouldn’t be so calming considering Keith barely even knows Mr. Shirogane. They have met only few times, no matter how many times Mr. Shirogane visits Keith’s dreams.

Once they get to the right grave, Mr. Shirogane cleans the stone with a smile while Keith goes to get some water for the flowers on the grave. When he waters them, he notices just whose grave it is.

 _Matthew Holt_  
A good son and perfect brother  
We miss you dearly  
1870-1896

Wait. The friend died in the 1800s? That can’t be right. Keith checks what the gravestone reads over and over again, yet it stays the same. Why would Mr. Shirogane visit a grave like this?

They’re almost to the car when Keith finally has the guts to ask.

When he does, Mr. Shirogane just stares at him for a while, clearly thinking hard.

 

”He’s... He was my friend. My best friend. Today’s his birthday, so I always visit his grave. Yes, that means I’m way older than you thought”, Mr. Shirogane smiles in a sad way. ”I cannot die. That’s why I want to give Matthew flowers to apologize. I had promised to meet him again in heaven, but that task is impossible for me.”

 

”What do you mean? Are you saying you can’t die?” Keith stares at Mr. Shirogane. Is this a joke? What on earth does he mean?

”It means exactly how it sounds like”, Mr. Shirogane sighs before it seems like a sudden wave of pain goes through him and the man falls down on his knees, trembling.

Keith quickly goes to him, although Mr. Shirogane tries to protest.

”Please... Leave me here. It’s too dangerous”, he pleads but Keith shakes his head.

”I can’t. It feels like you’re one of my flowers, you have a magnet on you that makes me unable to leave you alone”, he explains. Mr. Shirogane stares at him.

”A magnet?”  
Keith nods. “That means I have to take care of you.”

 

”I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to--” the crouching man says, shocked to hear about Keith’s feelings of pull towards him.

 

”What do you mean? Mr. Shirogane, please look at me”, Keith asks and gently touches the man’s cheek in order to encourage him. Mr. Shirogane ends up turning his lips to the hand, though, and kisses it. Keith resists the urge to pull his hand back, because he could have just imagined that.

Then Mr. Shirogane kisses his hand again. And again. And again.

Keith almost pulls back but Mr. Shirogane’s hand has moved to his to keep it there. Then the man kisses his wrist. Keith makes a small sound, and then gasps when he feels Mr. Shirogane suck directly above his veins. Oh. Teeth sink into his skin, sucking blood in small movements.

Keith abruptly wakes up the next morning in his bed at the sensation. Was it all just a dream again? The bite marks on his wrist tell another tale. He thinks and thinks and slowly memories start coming back. Mr. Shirogane apologized many times for biting him, but he was getting just so hungry. Keith didn’t have to fear turning into a vampire, it doesn’t work that way. Mr. Shirogane drove him home and thanked for everything, apologizing one more time and promised not to accidentally charm Keith anymore no matter how attracted to him he was. Then, he just left, without another word.

 

* * *

 

The very next night, Keith finds out Mr. Shirogane is a liar, or at least terrible at keeping promises. There he is again in his dream, such perfect smile and soft, cold hands wandering on Keith’s body. Then the fangs find his still-healing wrist and hungrily bite into it. It feels so good...

Keith wakes up with a gasp and almost expects to see Mr. Shirogane laying next to him. He’s not.

The dreams start to feel a little different, like Mr. Shirogane isn’t really there as vividly as before. Keith can’t stop thinking about the possible meaning of that. Is Mr. Shirogane away for good? Where could he have gone? Will Keith only see him in his dreams from now on?

After a month Keith feels like the charm should be gone completely by now, so the dreams should have gone away too. Why is he still pining after over a 100-year old vampire? It doesn’t make sense to Keith. Then two months pass, and his dreams about Mr. Shirogane are no longer daily, just every other day. It feels a little scary, because for some reason Keith doesn’t want to forget about the man, vampire, completely. He’s not ready.

Six months pass and by then he doesn’t have the dreams anymore. Indeed, he doesn’t dream at all, nowadays. He doesn’t forget about Mr. Shirogane, though. Keith is already planning what kind of bouquet to make for Matthew Holt. Just in case Mr. Shirogane likes his services and comes by again.

Just in case.

Then, about a year later Keith starts having dreams again. The same dream, over and over again. Mr. Shirogane is on a cliff all alone, and looks down towards a storming sea below. He’s not doing anything, though - he’s just standing there.

On the fifth night Keith starts seeing more of the place. He recognizes it almost immediately. It’s close by, close enough for him to run there.

So he does.

The next night Keith prepares himself for the long running trip and then he’s gone, on his way to the cliff and hopefully to a vampire he’s still infatuated with.

 

* * *

 

Even though he hoped for the best, Keith still feels surprised to actually see Mr. Shirogane on the cliff. The vampire isn’t looking down like in Keith’s dream though. He’s looking at Keith.

Keith walks up to him.

”Where were you?”

”I had to make sure your feelings aren’t because of a charm I might have casted.”

”What if they were?”

”You wouldn’t be here.”

”What does this mean, then?”

Mr. Shirogane smiles.

”I love you.”

 

The next evening when Mr. Shirogane comes into the shop Keith almost hopes he could hide from him. Almost. On the other hand he could just spend the rest of the day staring at him. Today Mr. Shirogane is wearing a white suit and dark red tie matched with a black dress shirt underneath. Keith is sure he has never seen anyone so beautiful.

”How can I do you today, sir?” Keith asks when Mr. Shirogane reaches the counter and realizes his mistake of mixing two different questions only when Mr. Shirogane bursts into laughter. Adorable.

”To be honest I was secretly hoping you would want to do me later today, after you close the shop”, Mr. Shirogane admits, ”and please, call me Shiro. ’Sir’ makes me feel old.”

”You _are_ old.”

”True. But yes, about later today, would it be alright, Keith?”

Keith can’t believe what he just heard. After he closes the shop? Does that mean… ”A date?” he makes sure his ears are not deceiving him. When Mr. Shirogane, Shiro, nods with a blush, Keith can’t help but to smile and look down at his feet. This is going to get complicated, he just knows it.

”I think I’d like that very much.”

But this time, he doesn’t mind it.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading!! I love vampires so much so just had to make Shiro one although we only talked about Florist AU oops---
> 
> (I hope you liked this and sorry it's so late baby, hopefully next year I'll be on time haha!)


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